Orchid, Apotex in exclusive pact to sell injectable antibiotics in US

Our Corporate Bureau
03 June 2003

Chennai: Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, the city-based bulk drug major, will soon start supplying the US-based Apotex Corporation generic cephalosporing and other injectable products.

According to an agreement signed by the two companies, Orchid will undertake development, manufacturing and supply of the sterile drugs while Apotex will handle all sales and marketing efforts in the US and also provide regulatory support to the venture as required. The Indian company will be the exclusive supplier to Apotex.

Orchid and Apotex plan to extend the agreement to cover the Canadian market for the injectables shortly. The North American market, dominated by the US, consumes annually $1.5 billion worth of injectable antibiotic products targeted by Orchid and Apotex.

The agreement covers eight key injectables, three of which are high-volume products, yet to go off patent. The alliance would aim at being the first to market for the products yet to go off patent to capture a major share of the generics market, together with the other products.

The cephalosporin products for the US market will be manufactured at Orchid's US Food and Drug Administration-compliant oral and sterile formulations facility at Irungattukottai, near Chennai, slated to be commissioned in a couple of months.